And I Bleed When I Fall Down
by PanicB3tt3rRun
Summary: This is my world now; the constant fear of the yokai, the demons, and the thought-to-be myths and legends that littered the streets. They had decimated out population, the humans that is, a while ago. It seems like years have passed but from my careful count it had only been a few months. We were gone before we even realized what happened. And yet, here I am, gun raised and ready.
1. And I Crash And I Break Down

**So as you've probably guessed, this story's title was taken from 'Human' by Christina Perri. It's just…fitting *smirks*. Let me make something clear right from the beginning. Naruto is truly a human in this fic so if you're looking for a creature!Naruto then you have sadly come to the wrong place but I encourage you to stay and take a gander! *snorts* (idiot, who says gander anymore).**

**See the end notes for some descriptions/definitions!**

**Please let me know if I should continue this story! (Also another warning*** I probably won't update this story as often as the others until I finish those!)**

**I don't own Naruto or 'Human'!...just the idea for this story.**

I woke to the scratching of nails down the door I had bolted shut only hours ago. My face was pressed against a smelly, moth-eaten sofa, my left cheek numb and a trail of spittle smeared down my chin. I had been sleeping less and less lately but who could blame me? Demons and Yokai alike were haunting every crevice of every place around.

No place was safe, not even here.

I bolted upright, knife clutched to my chest and a gun strapped to my waist. I swallowed hard, feeling desperation and resignation fill my gut. I clamped down hard on the feelings, pushing them down until they were in the darkest corner of my mind, right along with _him._

But _he _never stayed down for long, never left my thoughts for more than a couple of minutes nowadays. I could only hope that _he _stayed further away than the feelings did.

A hiss followed by a growl sounded before the door rattled and a piercing snarl shattered my eardrums. "C'mon out. We know you're in there," called a gruff voice. A mad chortle sounded again and the door creaked, the wood in the center splintering as I scrambled backwards. _Shit._ I pushed anything and everything in front of the door, save for the couch, to provide a barrier between myself and the beasts.

This is my world now; the constant fear of the yokai, the demons, and the thought-to-be myths and legends that littered the streets. They had decimated our population, the humans that is, a while ago. It seems like years have passed but from my careful count it had only been a few months. We were gone before we even realized what happened. We were gone and they needed us. We were gone, I say again but really we're just _rare. _The few of us left have even fewer choices; turn ourselves in and be sold to the highest bidder or be hunted down and then _forced _into slavery.

Some may say I'm being hunted but I like to think of myself as, ehem, escaping the man and fighting back, but even I know that the lucky ones died long ago. Yet, here I am, on the verge of being captured with my gun now raised and my knife lying on the ground abandoned where I had dropped it in my haste to draw my gun.

The door shattered, pulling me back to reality. Two cynocephalus, demons with the bodies of men and the heads of dogs, peered in. Their ears stood in sharp points on the very tops of their canine heads, entirely alert. Snouts twitched before dark brown eyes caught sight of my body, crouched in a corner, back against the wall and weapons at the ready.

"Now, now, there's no need for those, pet." One said gently, his head resembled that of a Doberman while his companion resembled a Pit Bull.

"Don't call me that," I hissed lowly. That was all we were to them now, _pets._

"Ooo, feisty little human. I like him already. I'm sure Anubis will be thrilled, he really enjoys crushing their spirits." The pit bull growled, black lips pulling back to reveal sharp, pointed teeth.

"Fuck off, asshole." I spat as aggressively as I could. My gun shook with the effort to keep it up. My ribs burned where gashes given to me just yesterday by a run I with a manticore oozed and throbbed threateningly. I could still feel blood trickling down my skin, my shirt was so caked to me that I was almost positive it would never come off.

The cynocephalus' noses twitched and I knew exactly what they were doing. They were scenting me, seeing how much of a fight I would put up. "He's injured, severely too." The Doberman stated almost sadly, as he stepped forward.

I turned the gun to face him quickly, cocking it as he raised his hands and stopped in his tracks. "You're hurt, let us help you." He motioned forward again but before he could move anymore, I pulled the trigger.

The shock reverberated up my arm and, in my shock I made a rookie mistake. I dropped my gun.

The two were on me in an instant, taking advantage of my dazed state, and forcing my head into the wall.

I struggled weakly with my captors, even going as far as biting one of them before they stabbed a needle into my thigh. I gasped as cold fluid filtered through my veins. "Shh, pet," the Doberman whispered, pushing my fringe away from my face. "Calm down, we're only trying to help. You'll have a kind master once you're all healed." He smiled; well at least I thought he did. It was hard to tell with his canine features.

I managed a pitiful, "Fuck you," and a half-hearted groan, before the drug that was forced into my body rendered me incapable of anything other than slight vocalizations and blinking. I dropped like lead, dead weight to my captors and utterly defenseless. The Pit Bull caught me in one arm and lifted me like I weighed no more than ten pounds.

Screw them _and_ their superhuman abilities.

My mind started to haze over; their voices were getting harder and harder to interpret, not that their already distorted voices were easy to understand by any means. I just had more experience than most. "Should we heal him here or back at the base?" the Pit Bull growled out, staring at me in a mixture of lust and hatred. He shifted me from one arm to the other, jostling my still healing wounds and tearing open older scabs. I yelped as pain lashed at my insides but dared not move any more. I tried desperately to remain still, but again, the drug in my system pulled my weight down and the wounds pulled harshly.

"How about we do it now? He looks like he's barely conscious now. I'm surprised what with all the blood around here." The Doberman said, pointing to the stained couch before deciding it would be better to lay me on the table. He brushed an arm across the surface of it, clearing it effectively and taking off his worn jacket, laying it down as a makeshift bed.

A few groans and whimpers escaped as I was dropped unceremoniously onto it. "Gently!" the Doberman hissed, eyes blazing. He kneeled over me as panic flared in my core once again. "It's alright, pet. This will only hurt for a second." He soothed, his all too human hand brushing the hair from my face. Instinctively, I tried to pull away, away from the creatures touch, but I couldn't move and soon my head was immobilized between the Pit Bull's massive thighs.

Human hands unbuttoned my shirt, making it tug at my wounds where the blood had dried. The Doberman tossed it aside after deciding it was easier to just cut off. A moment of silence followed and I feared that I had been found out but the only thing he said was an appreciative "Pretty…" as his hands slid over the sensitive middle of my tattoo, coincidentally on the tender flesh of my stomach.

"You know, this almost looks like-" the Pit Bull started, his hands wandering down to brush the scars on my cheeks before he was cut off by the cocking of a gun.

"Back away from the boy," a deep voice said slowly. Both cynocephalus' heads rose in unison, taking in the sight of their ambusher. There were some shuffling noises that made me aware that there was more than one of them. _Please, if there is a god, let them help me. Let them be good people…or creatures. I really don't care at the moment as long as they're here to help me. _The dog men's lips curled back menacingly, but their hands soon left me.

"Good. Now, get up, slowly, and place your hands against the wall," the same voice demanded calmly.

"Tsunade, Haruno, go check him." Another voice interrupted softly but just as demanding.

It was extremely disturbing to see a pink haired girl and a blonde woman come out of nowhere, practically popping out of thin air above me, seeing as I could barely move. It was almost as unsettling as the icy cold feeling I got as soon as I made eye contact with a dark haired man gazing intently at me in the doorway. A tingle of recognition raced down my spine at the gray eyes and cat-like pupils and I tried hard to disguise it as one of pain.

I could feel the marks on my face grow hot and visible, quickly shaking my hair over my forehead to cover the surely glowing crescents. My body was slowly thawing out, regaining control of itself, the drug was meant to be utilized quickly and they hadn't taken advantage of it. The blonde woman's light brown eyes roved over my body before settling on my face. Her eyes narrowed slightly but the tender smile she let me see made me forget all about it.

"It's okay; we're not here to hurt you. We saw you come in a couple hours ago but it wasn't safe for us to make contact. When we saw them come in, we took the chance and…well here we are." The pink haired girl said cheekily.

My eyes darted between them before landing on the icy male again. A stronger chill had my body quaking as cool eyes stared hard into my own. His steely gaze narrowed in thought before widening the barest amount as he pushed off the wall and darted forward. The man caught the blonde woman's hand, which was glowing an eerie green-blue. Her head flipped around and, with a harsh glare, snatched her hand away as if she were burned. "What are you doing? He needs to be healed now!" she hissed while the pink haired girl gaped like a fish.

"Yes," the man agreed roughly, getting another glare from her before he raised a hand to silence her outbreak. "But not by an elf. He needs a dragon healer."

A small gasp sounded from the corner where the cynocephalus were watching the entire scene over their shoulders. "I knew it!" the Pit Bull grunted. "He's Kyuubi-sama's pet!"

My body, now almost entirely thawed, froze again. _God, why do you hate me? _My muscles groaned in protest as I scrambled backwards on the wide table, only thinking to escape because if those people knew who _he_ was then it wouldn't matter if they were here to help me. They would definitely turn me in. The people, if you could still call them that, in the room turned to stare at me, most of them uncomprehendingly; and, while their backs were turned, the cynocephalus sprung.

The Pit Bull launched himself off the back of the couch, landing over top of me and pulling my still sluggish body into his arms. My protests went unnoticed as chaos erupted around the room.

The Doberman had the leader of the group in a headlock, using his claws to provide a direct threat to his throat. The two elf healers stood with glowing hands, back to back, the pink haired one facing me while the blonde faced her leader. A man with spikey brown hair, a human by the look of it, was glancing worriedly from the leader to me and then to the dark haired man from before.

I felt the room chill over then, frost gathered on the window panes and the air crackled with a contained amount of electricity, as if the roof were just waiting on a signal to give in and crush us all. When I finally caught sight of the cause of the sudden and dramatic environmental change, I couldn't believe my eyes.

The dark haired man who had called me out was about two inches off the ground. His eyes were narrowed into leaden bullets that vaguely resembled the pipes that protruded from the ceiling. His pointed ears peaked out from his obsidian hair and called attention to the horns that managed to curl from the sides of his forehead, and there, in the center of all that smooth, pale skin was a diamond shaped red ruby.

It held my gaze captive and, unable to look away, I didn't even register the face that he was; moving, speaking, or the area behind him shimmering like a massive set of wings.

"Put him down, dog," the man growled, sharp while teeth bared ferociously. "You don't know of what you're holding."

The Pit Bull growled back. "It is you who don't understand filthy lizard. He is Kyuubi-sama's pet and we will be rewarded greatly for our find." He clutched me tighter, claws digging deeper into my side so hard that I whimpered and jerked away from him.

"You're hurting him, Dak," the Doberman murmured from across the room. "Kyuubi-sama will be even more upset if we injure him further."

Then, with the speed of a cobra, the leader struck him in the ribs with his elbow, his hand coming up full force to punch him in the muzzle. The Doberman howled in pain, his sensitive nose sending a string of pain through his nerves.

"Ra!" the Pit Bull screeched, his hot breath making my skin crawl as he dropped me onto the hard ground as he ran to his companion. The floor greeted me with a solid 'thunk' as my breath fled from my lungs and I struggled to regain it. My body trembled and the edges of my vision turned fuzzy.

Dark hair tickled my face and, through the strained fighting sounds, I could make out a few garbled words. "…-e okay, Sorro-"

I inhaled sharply, tears welling in my eyes at the fire in my ribs. _Dammit. _"…tell…don't...back!" I croaked. Ice spilled into the palm of my hand as I grasped a fistful of his shirt, fingers brushing bare skin.

"Shh." The man soothed, one cool hand brushing back my hair and revealing the glowing crescents on my skin. A soft sigh erupted from his lips and I watched in wonder as the steely gaze softened the slightest amount before snapping out of my daze in order to get my message across.

"Don't tell them. Don't let them take me back! Please!" I gasped, dispelling the cold that had settled deep within the man, as a sort of incentive, and replacing it with warmth and love that were desperately needed.

His gray eyes fluttered and he reached up, grasping my hand lightly against his chest. "It's true." He breathed and the last thing I saw was the glimmer of the ruby on his forehead.

xxx

Sasuke stared at the ragged blonde boy in his lap.

The boy, because he certainly wasn't a man, was so bruised and bloody that I was difficult to see the actual tan of his skin. His pants were torn and patched in many places and the reddish- brown rag lying on the ground was probably the remnants of his shirt.

He'd been on the run for a while it seemed.

His pale skin was growing paler and paler by the second, almost as pale as Sasuke's.

Acting quickly, he scooped the sacred being into his arms, the flutter of warmth still stinging in his chest where the boy had healed him, but it was accompanied by the urge to protect the boy, even more so than was natural for one of his kind.

A niggling of recognition fluttered in his wings as he brought the boy close to his chest, darting around the fighting going on in the room and jumping into the sky. The boy's plea repeated in his mind, his wide blue eyes begging desperately to the point where, even if Sasuke had wanted too, he couldn't refuse.

His wings beat harshly at the humid, summer air, carrying him up high until her reached the top of the building. Without further ado, he landed next to the giant skylight in the ceiling and was pleasantly surprised to find a garden, albeit, a little over grown but beautiful all the same.

The boy in his arms stirred slightly as the pollen from the flowers made him sneeze. The pain filled whimpers that came from him shocked Sasuke immediately from his dazed admiring. Blonde brows were drawn in pain; full pink lips parted to take in shuttering breaths all while his scarred cheeks turned paler and paler.

Sasuke dropped down to his knees, careful not to jostle the boy. His hand took on a dark blue, almost black, hue as he swiftly ran it over the trembling blonde's body.

His usually stoic mask was nowhere in sight as he winced at every injury on the small body. How anyone could harm such a beautiful creature was beyond him but then he remembered what the mutt had said.

The boy with the sunshine hair and ocean blue eyes was the Kyuubi's pet.

Sasuke's lip curled in disgust at the word. _No_ _being_ should be labeled as 'pet', not even a human and certainly not this one.

As he continued his healing of the boy, he began to recall all of the times he had seen Kyuubi refuse a pet, claiming he already had one but no one ever saw him. It wasn't until his pet had escaped that he had given any detail as to what his pet looked like and even then it was; 'Short. Blonde, with blue eyes and markings on his face.'

Not very helpful.

Those who were fortunate enough to escape Kyuubi's wrath when he had walked into an empty chamber were sent out to find his beloved pet.

Never would Sasuke have imagined to have found him halfway across the world, and for him to be the healer of all of Sasuke's people, yet here he was with his arms full of a, no, _the _Sorrow Dragon.

**Okay so all of these creatures are real! Some of the attributes I make up so they might not be word for word the exact same but the general idea of them is there! **

**Creature Talk I:**

**Manticore: **a mythological beast with a lion's body and a humans head

**Cynocephalus: **a member of an ancient race of men with the heads of dogs

**Anubis: **the jackal-headed god of death. He holds the scales that weigh the souls of the dead.

**Yokai: **all monsters and supernatural beings

**Demons: **an evil spirit or devil, especially one thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell

**Sorrow Dragon:** they absorb the sorrow of another being and replace it with and emotion that that soul needs most; it only appears once every 1000 years.

**Okay! That's all for this one so please Review/Follow/Favorite! I love reading all your guys' comments!**

**If you haven't checked out my other stories please feel free to do so!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Until Next Time!**


	2. The Dog Days Are Over

**Inspiration has struck again (*^*) and my other story got 300 follows! Huzzah! Please go check that one out and leave a review as well!**

**Thank you for your comments and don't worry! All of your questions will be answered in the upcoming chapters (not necessarily this one sorry :3 ) **

**This chapters title was supposed to be a play on the cynocephalus of the first chapter (ha-ha get it? DOG days…okay)**

**Well anyway I don't own Naruto!**

**Enjoy and Please Review!**

It's been days since the boy last opened his eyes, three to be precise. Sasuke had barely left his side, his wings still visible even though the danger had passed.

It frustrated him to no end that he couldn't control himself. Not being able to control himself was like being fledging all over again and there was no way he was going through that again. He groaned and stretched, his heavy wings aching where the connected with his back.

"Sasuke," a voice called from nearly behind him. His back tensed and immediately his wings fanned out, protecting the boy from prying eyes. He glanced over his shoulder, eyes flashing and the ruby on his forehead glowing briefly. His shoulders sagged slightly when he caught sight of Iruka, the group's co-leader. "You should get some rest, I will watch him and let you know if anything changes…" his soft voice trailed off when Sasuke tensed up again and gave a noncommittal 'Hn'.

Iruka sighed, running a hand through chocolate locks and stepping forward cautiously, having been on the receiving end of this particular dragon's whip-like tail one too many times since the boys arrival. Sasuke's tail flicked once before stopping as he glared at Iruka from the corner of his eye. "I just want to check his pulse rate. Please, Sasuke. I'm only trying to help, we're all concerned for him and…you-…you're acting strange. Just, please…"

It was a struggle to pull his wing back even the tiniest amount to reveal to gift hidden behind them. Iruka darted into the gap Sasuke had made between the corner of the wall he had settled the boy in and his massive wing. Once he had made it past, Sasuke's wing snapped back into place and the area was left in darkness except for the bit of light that shone down from above.

Iruka cast a few glances at Sasuke's rigid stature and emotionless, well aside for the sneer, face before raising a hand above his head to signal to Kakashi and the rest of their group that he was alright. Sasuke's gaze followed his every move and when he leaned over to get a better view of the boy, a strained rumble burbled from inside Sasuke's chest. It was loud enough for Kakashi to hear it call out to see if he was still alright. "I'm okay," Iruka called back as loud as he dared while enclosed in such a tight space with a dragon and his, well he's not sure what the boy is but he must be important.

His eyes slid away from the raven-haired being and down to the boy. He was bruised and a little worse for wear but he was breathing and that was more than he could have ever asked for. Slowly, he lowered his head to the boy's bare chest, the shredded remains of his clothes long forgotten in the rush of escape. Iruka would have to send someone out for new clothes or the boy would surely freeze, but oddly enough, it was warm in the cocoon Sasuke had made, no doubt from the dragons abnormal body temperature.

The rapid intakes of breathe were a little disconcerting but they were most likely because of a fever. Gently, Iruka raised his hand to brush away dirty blonde bangs but a snarl stopped him mid-way. He froze, not daring to move a muscle until the growl rose to a dangerous level. He chanced a glance at Sasuke and scrambled back towards the wall.

"Iruka? Iruka!? Are you okay? Answer me!" Chorused a voice from outside their enclosure. Iruka lifted a hand slowly, stretching to reach his fingers above the enormous wings.

The group on the other side stood as close as they dared to the tail that lashed about in agitation and the wings that shimmered dramatically before the raven head turned and red, bled into the beings eyes. His teeth, fangs, were bared and his shoulders tense as he growled at them. Iruka's voice came quietly from behind the dark wings. "I'm alright. Everything is okay, just, back away. He's not thinking right now but he won't hurt me. I think…I think he's just protecting the boy."

Silence reigned between the two groups before finally, the shuffle of feet told Iruka that the group had backed away. Iruka looked back at Sasuke, noticing the crimson fading from his gaze. Sasuke shook his head, trying to get rid of the remaining haze that lingered in his mind. He tensed as he registered someone watching him but relaxed again when he saw it was only Iruka.

"I'm going to check for a fever," Iruka stated calmly, figuring it would help if Sasuke knew what he was doing. He raised a hand again but a clawed hand caught his wrist.

"Don't!" Sasuke's voice came out garbled, his grip bruising. He swallowed hard and relaxed his grip slightly. "Don't touch his forehead."

Iruka nodded, ignoring the need to rub his wrist and cautiously looked to Sasuke to check his reaction as to where he could and couldn't touch. He pulled the boy up off the blankets that Sasuke had spread out for him gently, placing his hands on his back as he listened for warning growls from Sasuke. The boys back was hot to the touch, almost burning as Iruka laid him back down. He frowned slightly, grabbing a bottle of water from the bag he had brought with him and twisting the cap off before filling it with water and dumping it into the boy's mouth. He repeated the act until almost a quarter of the water was left before he sighed and set the water down.

"I'm going to check his pulse now," Iruka said as he turned the boys head up. Iruka grimaced at the bruising there, like someone had tried to strangle him, but the bruises were faded and obviously old. They must've been a little tender still because when Iruka pressed down, a whimper escaped those parted pink lips. Sasuke's answering snarl was enough for Iruka to jerk his hands away and settle for finding his pulse rate in his wrist.

"Sorry, sorry," He whispered, but whether he was talking to Sasuke or the boy he wasn't sure. He quickly readjusted so that he was next to the boy's hands, his back to a wall and his hair brushing Sasuke's where they bent to look over the boy. Iruka pressed his fingers to the inside of his wrist and closed his eyes as he counted. His pulse was higher than normal but that was only to be expected.

"I'll bring some more food later, you need to rest too Sasuke, or you won't be able to take care of yourself, much less anyone else." Iruka's gaze darted to the boy before returning to Sasuke. He gave a noncommittal grunt as Iruka placed a few energy bars on the ground and waited for Sasuke to pull his wing back.

He was standing just a little too close to those wings as they closed again, bumping his legs and making him stumble into the waiting arms of his co-leader.

"You find out why he's acting like that?" Kakashi asked as he steadied Iruka, eyes roving for anything to suggest he was hurt.

"No," Iruka said as he ran a hand through his hair, "but I think I may have an idea."

Both of their heads turned in unison to watch the normally stoic creature stretch his wings before curling his feet underneath him and wrapping his tail around his torso as he watched over the boy.

If their situation were any different Kakashi may have laughed at his antics, a ginormous watch dog looking over a tiny kitten. He snorted and Iruka raised an eyebrow at him as if he knew exactly what he was thinking. When he looked back at the pair though, another thought startled him.

Sasuke looked like he was protecting something precious, more than a watch dog he was a guardian. "You don't think…" he trailed off, breath catching in his throat as he watched a clawed hand clasp the pale one that peeked just into view.

"I do." Iruka breathed as he stared at the pair with a fond and knowing smile.

XXX

I couldn't breathe, panic was setting in as I bolted upright, or tried to anyways. Something heavy was pinning my arms to my sides, something else curled around my right calf. In my panic I cried out, wriggling desperately with my captor. "No!" I pleaded with whomever or whatever it was that had me.

"Shh, it's okay. You're alright." A voice soothed, a cool hand brushing tears I hadn't known I had shed away. The voice was unfamiliar and made me tense but slowly, I raised my eyelids to meet my captor.

Memories flooded through my mind, every little detail from the manticore to the cynocephalus to the dragon in front of me. The ruby on his forehead glowed in the darkness of the night, a fire just over his broad shoulder smoldered, blinking in and out of existence. I turned my attention back to the man, avoiding his steely gaze in favor of staring at the massive wings draped across us like a blanket and his smooth, barbed tail wound lightly around my leg in an oddly comforting way.

I blushed when I realized I was practically naked, cuddled against this stranger's bare chest, well bare except for the dark tribal markings that crept and writhed across his pale skin as if they were living. The embarrassment quickly faded to terror when I didn't recognize any of my surroundings and couldn't find any of my weapons. My breathing became labored, eyes frantic as a sound like thunder rumbled up from his chest.

It vibrated through my own, rattling my lungs in a purr that made me relax almost instantly. The same cool hand rubbed across my cheek, his thumb motioning in circular patterns that made my eyelids flutter. "You're okay. It's alright. Nothing's wrong." He murmured over again and again until my thoughts were settled as much as my body was.

"You didn't take me back…?" I whispered quietly, hands trembling where they rested in between us on his chest.

He snorted, a small smirk that could almost pass for a smile reaching his lips. "No, dobe. You asked me not to. I haven't said a word but I know that they," he glanced over his shoulder to where I could just barely make out the lumps of sleeping bodies, "are suspicious and have made some assumptions of their own."

I bristled slightly, glaring at him as best as I could but I was simply exhausted. Relief filled my veins as my glare dropped to form a watery smile. "Thank you." I whispered as I ducked my head to avoid his intense stare.

Underneath my head, his arm flexed as his fingers glided through my hair, his claws catching on the snarls. I hadn't even realized I was using him as a pillow. He gave a small hum of acknowledgement before we listened to the sounds of the night.

Will-o-wisps lit up the area outside, safely away from our make-shift camp that seemed to be a hobby shop with a convenient camping area that the group had made their resting place. A Nemean Lion roared in the distance and I couldn't help the shiver that raced up my spine or the way that my body curled into the dragons.

He rubbed his hand down my back, as comforting a gesture as the tightening of his arms around me was. My eyes were drifting closed the next time he spoke. "Are you still awake?"

I nodded my head slightly, definitely not enjoying the smooth skin of his chest as my cheek brushed against it.

"May I ask your name?" he inquired softly. It was strange for him to be so polite after calling me dobe but I wasn't going to question it right now.

I hummed in acknowledgement. "Naruto." I muttered around a yawn.

"Naruto…" He said quietly, testing out my name before continuing. "My name is Sasuke."

"Pleasure to meet you." I sniggered at the obscenity of the situation but stopped when I heard the sharp intake of breath.

Sasuke's fingers brushed through my hair again, coming down to rest on my cheek as he tilted my face up so I was looking directly into his eyes. "I pledge myself to thee." He said, the words spilling from his mouth of their own accord, his eyes flashing crimson as my own widened and he lowered his head so his ruby brushed the light blue crescent in my forehead.

A pulse of electricity and ice rushed through me, cooling the fever that had made me sweat and causing a sigh to rush past my lips and my eyes to flutter like I was dreaming. Images flashed before my eyes; pictures of two fledging raven haired boys playing in a garden, another of the smaller boy looking on in horror as his mother and father were forced from their home and into the streets of a small village, and the last of the moment he had recognized me. The hope he had felt and the fluttering in his wings branded across my mind.

He pulled himself away, grey eyes dazed as they flickered between crimson and steel. "Wha- What did you do?" I whispered feeling the burn of another presence in my mind and something like a chord tugging from behind my navel to the markings on Sasuke's shoulder.

"I don't…I'm not entirely sure." He gasped, eyes wide as he looked at me intently before his eyes shut.

"Hey," I said, voice rising in anxiety and worry for the being I knew would protect me because of who I was. I tapped his cheek with a dirty finger, leaving a smudge on the porcelain skin. He hummed and turned into my touch, eyebrows scrunched together and creating a crease. Automatically, I drew out some of the coldness in his core, placing warmth there and he shuttered, arms tightening around me and wings shielding me from the dangers of outside. Another rumble of his thunder-like purr reverberated through me and the heavy lull of sleep over took my brain as soon as I was sure he was okay.

For once, it wasn't a nightmare the rattled me from my sleep.

XXX

"How long do you think they've been like this?" someone said above me and immediately my entire body tensed. I didn't recognize the voices and they could be any sort of creature.

The rumble of Sasuke's purr calmed me slightly. He was there; he wouldn't let them get me, not if it meant losing the 'gift' of his people. I ducked my head down further into his chest, hiding from the others view and relishing in the warmth and content purr that Sasuke gave off.

"I don't know but they look pretty happy to me. Maybe we shouldn't wake them…" came another, more concerned voice.

"Iruka, we have to keep moving. I know that you're worried but it's not safe here. We already took the risk of staying here for the week but we can't stay any longer."

"I know," the softer voice, Iruka said. "Okay just, be careful. We don't know how he's going to react." I couldn't tell if he was referencing Sasuke or myself but it didn't really matter because the next thing I could here were the trek of heavy boots across linoleum and the pop of knees as someone bent down.

"Sasuke," the man called before placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking him slightly.

Sasuke's eyes flew open, one of his claws catching the man's hand. "Stop." He growled; his other arm and his tail locking me firmly against his torso so that I wasn't jostled.

"We need to get going. We've stayed too long and while I doubt anyone is tracking us, I want to get back to the woods."

Sasuke 'hn'd' his affirmation and rolled his shoulder over so that it covered my body from view. "Did Iruka find any clothes?" He said lowly, his tone bored and neutral.

Something bounced off of Sasuke's back, landing harmlessly on the ground as he turned around, eyes flashing dangerously before the sound of someone being smacked in the head followed by a whined "Iruuukaaa!" followed.

"Oh hush. That didn't hurt and you deserved it." Came a chiding voice.

I smothered a laugh in Sasuke's chest. These people were certainly entertaining that was for sure.

"Hmm so you were awake," Sasuke said, his tail uncurling from my leg and instantly I missed its leathery texture. He sat up, pulling me with him as he situated me in the corner and swept the clothes forward with his tail. "I thought so."

A blush rose to my cheeks and I scoffed, head turning to the side as if I wasn't completely mortified. "I don't know what you're talking about." He raised an amused eyebrow at me before I sighed out a "Don't you ever sleep?"

He snorted roughly through his nose in what may have been an attempt at a laugh. "Here." He said, using his tail to push the clothes closer to me as his wings spread up high to form a make shift changing area.

I took one look at the clothes and looked back to him. "These are children's clothes."

"Yes?"

I grimaced. "I'm not a child. I'm 19, legally an adult for over a year now."

"They're the only thing that would fit you." He said even as he had the nerve to look slightly stunned.

"Curse these stupid cheeks," I muttered pinching them as a form of punishment before catching sight of the smirk on Sasuke's face. "Oh be quiet, we can't all look like that." I gestured to his person; his stupid shoulders and stupid muscles and, oh god, his stupid face. My cheeks flamed as I snatched the clothes from the ground, shimmying into the jeans while trying to hide the fact that my legs ached and the wounds on my side protested every time I moved too much.

The leathery tail pulled my hands away from where they were struggling to slide the jeans over my knees. I looked up; forcing back the tears I could feel in the corners of my eyes. Sasuke's face had softened from when he was growling at the man, Kakashi. "What-?"

"Just come here." He said, a pinkness tinting his cheeks as he glanced sideways. I shuffled the few feet forward that were needed and gasped in surprise as Sasuke pulled my arms around his neck, leaving our faces mere inches apart.

There was nothing intimate though, about the pain that crawled up my spine when the jeans slid over the bruises and cuts on my knees as he pulled them up. I hissed, shutting my eyes against it as he muttered quiet words of apology and offered consoling rubs against my hips.

"Can you put your arms up?" he asked softly, steel eyes more of a soft gray as his thumbs paused in their ministrations. I shook my head, breathing hard as my weight shifted forward. "That's okay, let's just do one arm at a time."

He slowly pried one of my arms from around his neck, stopping every so often when I couldn't hold back some pitiful sound. Gradually, we managed to get the stupid shirt on, followed quickly by a jacket before my arms were around his neck again and I was stepping into socks and shoes, allowing myself to be dressed and pampered like I was back in the palace.

No.

Not thinking of that now.

Not thinking of _him._

"Shit," I cursed. My legs were trembling with the effort it was taking to hold up my body but they were swept out from underneath me as I was simultaneously lifted into Sasuke's arms, holding on for dear life when the ground dropped from under me.

"Hold on." Sasuke said gruffly as he gave a shake of his head and his horns and wings disappeared. "Now climb around onto my back, it's much easier that way. I groaned, not wanting to move any more than I had to when he snorted again. "It's either that or you walk."

I grumbled under my breath as made my way to his back. I hissed each time my wounds tugged but Sasuke stood perfectly still as I got into position. His tail wrapped securely around my waist like seatbelt as he grasped my legs and hefted me up, careful not to jostle me too much but that didn't stop the "Teme," from escaping my breath as a particularly sore bruise was crushed against his side.

He huffed. "Dobe."

A snicker broke our moment.

"Well hi."

**Creature Talk II:**

**Nemean Lion: **a giant lion with an impenetrable hide and a nasty temper

**Will-o-Wisps: **strange flame-like lights that seem to beckon travelers to follow, they often me good fortune or their demise.

**PLEASE REVIEW OR FEEL FREE TO PM ME!**


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